Boston city councilors enjoy relatively high political profiles, but in reality they labor under the tight constraints of a strong-mayor system. In the past, this paradox has often reduced the council to an echo chamber, where talk has been more plentiful than ideas. The past two years, however, have been constructive, even fruitful.

There are seven candidates vying for four at-large council seats in the November 8 municipal elections. The Phoenix endorses four incumbents, listed here in alphabetical order:

FELIX ARROYO, the council's sole Latino member, is a one-term incumbent who has successfully negotiated the switch from his previous job as a labor organizer to public servant.

Impressive on a number of fronts, Arroyo has developed an admirable economic-policy plan that in these challenging times could yield impressive results, if only Mayor Thomas Menino would get behind it.

Called Invest in Boston, Arroyo's plan would leverage the $1 billion in deposits that the city places in local banks. Arroyo's idea is to invest in banks that invest in Boston and reward those banks that make loans for local business development with city deposits.

In this punishing economic environment, Invest in Boston would not only help create jobs and promote growth — if used properly, it could help reduce housing foreclosures and promote lending to qualified home buyers.

JOHN CONNOLLY

JOHN CONNOLLY, a former teacher and lawyer, has completed two council terms. Like Arroyo, Connolly is frequently mentioned as a potential mayoral candidate and is perhaps the council's most recognized member.

Although the council has only limited school oversight, restricted largely to budgetary matters, Connolly has shown imagination in using his perch as chairman of the Education Committee as a bully pulpit to advocate for responsible reform and concrete improvements.

Connolly showed real guts in going public with the news that Boston Public Schools routinely served students cafeteria food that was past its expiration date.

More impressive and important was the daylong hearing Connolly convened last year to establish what needs to be done to move the public schools forward. At the time, the Phoenix noted: "For almost eight consecutive hours, scores of students, parents, outside experts, grassroots leaders, business representatives, and established civic bigwigs made clear-cut and common-sense-based recommendations on how to improve what already works in the schools and how to fix what has, until now, appeared beyond repair."

Oil, oil, everywhere It is not enough that British Petroleum’s wounded oil well in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico continues to bleed millions of gallons of viscous crude oil, killing marshes that could offer protection from future hurricanes, destroying habitats for migrating birds, fouling coastal commercial-fishing grounds.

Providence's mayoral candidates, on bended knee In a parallel universe, where serial candidate Christopher Young's antics are simply an ingenious bit of performance art — and not evidence of a worrisome and often obnoxious instability — his display at the recent Providence mayoral debate might qualify as a sort of capstone on a brilliant career.

Addicted to distraction I have just finished conducting extensive scientific experiments that required me to wear a white lab coat, to order my deformed assistant to dig up corpses from fresh graves, and to combine common household chemicals in plastic soda bottles. The results of my tests are indisputable.

David Cicilline for Congress All elections are important, of course. But Rhode Island voters have a rare opportunity this fall to remake the state’s political hierarchy in sweeping fashion.

Does Portland want an elected mayor? The campaign to bring an elected mayor to Portland, a proposal championed by the city's charter commission as well as several arts and business groups, officially launched at a City Hall press conference on Tuesday.

Lusi for gov: Ribeyes, fireworks, and a Wonder Bread bus Stepping out of his Volkswagen bus, which is painted to look like a loaf of Wonder Bread, independent gubernatorial candidate Joe Lusi shares some wisdom regarding political media appearances. "Running for office is like being a stand-up comedian," he explains. "You get up there and you tell the same old jokes."

The circus came to town In the days leading up to November 2, voters here and across the country heard a lot about the Tea Party — what various wins and losses would mean for the staying power of this relatively new political phenomenon, which candidates represented real Tea Party values, how much credit the Tea Partiers were to be given for conservative victories in Congress and in statewide races.

MERCY AND SAL DIMASI | March 13, 2013 When it comes to showing a modicum of mercy to some of those convicted of federal crimes, Barack Obama is shaping up to have the worst track record of any president in recent memory.

NEXT, MARRIAGE EQUALITY | March 05, 2013 On March 27 and 28, the US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in two cases that could essentially put America on the road to full marriage equality.

THUS SPAKE MARKEY | February 26, 2013 Last week, Congressman Ed Markey inadvertently injected some daring political thinking and a touch of historical imagination into the race to fill the US Senate seat vacated by John Kerry's appointment as secretary of state.

DRONES: 10 THOUGHTS | February 20, 2013 Foreign drone attacks are almost (but not quite yet) as American as apple pie.